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The Vilnius Regional Administrative Court decided on Thursday to ask for the Constitutional Court's opinion on whether Jonas Milius was lawfully dismissed as director of the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS).

"Having examined the case, the court had doubts both about the protocol decision by the government of the Republic of Lithuania and about its decision on Milius' dismissal from office and has turned to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania for explanation as to whether the contested government decisions comply with both the Law on the Government of Lithuania and with the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania," Judge Arūnas Kaminskas told reporters.

The court's decision to refer the case to the Constitutional Court is not subject to appeal.

The government fired Milius in early October 2016. Government officials then said that the director had been sacked due to his activity report not having been approved. Milius maintains, however, that the government did not even discuss the report, attributing his dismissal to political motives.

The Vilnius court questioned former Interior Minister Tomas Žilinskas and former Agriculture Minister Virginija Baltraitienė as witnesses in the case.

Law-enforcement officials have brought suspicions of abuse of office and document forgery against Milius. The Special Investigation Service is investigating suspicions that Judex, a Kaunas-based frozen food company, sought to influence the SVFS via Petras Gražulis, a member of the Seimas, to avoid penalties for violations. Gražulis has been questioned as a special witness in the probe.